1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to mounting brackets for U-locks and, more particularly, to a universal mounting bracket for a U-lock of the kind featuring a U-shaped shackle and a cross bar for securing motorcycles, bicycles, scooters, mopeds and the like against theft.
2. The Prior Art
The numbers of motorcycles, bicycles scooters, mopeds and the like in daily use have increased dramatically lately. Some of these items are now quite expensive. Thefts of these items also have increased dramatically. These items, once stolen, represent not only considerable loss to their owners, but also are difficult to trace and to recover. Professional and some not so professional thieves nowadays frequently employ a bolt cutter, a long lever or the like to sever or break quickly and quietly cables, chains or other devices used to secure bicycles and the like to posts or other fixed objects. To guard thereagainst, large heavy locks have been developed comprising rigid U-shaped shackles and cross bars designed to attach to the ends of the shackles.
The present invention pertains to a universal mounting bracket for such a rigid U-lock to securely hold it in place on a vehicle when the vehicle is in use and not the U-lock. A lock holder of this type is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 1,629,859 that was granted to Lot F. Burke on May 24, 1927. An early attempt at a combination bicycle lock and mounting bracket was disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,9667,475 that was granted to one of the coinventors herein, Michael S. Zane on Jul. 6, 1976. An improvement thereof is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,155,231 granted to the coinventors Michael and Peter Zane on May 22, 1979. Another combined carrying and locking device for a cycle is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,256,322. An interesting antitheft device for bicycles is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,271,690 that issued to Jaulmes on Jun. 9, 1981. A brake lock for motorcycles is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,426,861, and a further former bracket for a motorcycle lock by the inventors herein is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,436,232 granted on Mar. 13, 1984. A different clamp for releasably securing a U-shaped bicycle lock to a bicycle frame is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,736,921 that was granted to the within coinventors Michael and Peter Zane on Apr. 12, 1988. This patent No. 4,736,921 features, as far as known for the first time, the utilization of a hard resilient plastic material for the formation of the lock holder, representing a radical departure from making such lock holders from sheet metal. In fact, the within coinventors' then pending application Ser. No. 467,609 filed Feb. 18, 1983, entitled "Mounting Bracket for Bicycle Lock," was, in part, abandoned due to product obsolescence in view of the teaching of Pat. No. 4,736,921. A U.S. patent application intended to protect a more versatile version of a plastic fastener for releasably securing bicycle accessories to a bicycle frame has recently been filed by the coinventors herein on Mar. 7, 1990, Ser. No. 07/490,731.